Sundaymail Editor
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
THEY were once a proud group of “Sunshine Boys”, who at their peak, even represented Zimbabwe in Africa but now it seems the sun is no longer shining for Harare City, whose stay in the Premiership is heavily under threat.
With four wins from 25 matches, Harare City have the least number of victories in the 2021/2022 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Even Correctional Services WhaWha and Tenax, who occupy the bottom two positions, have better win rates (five wins each) than beleaguered City.
Only ZPC Kariba with 11 goals, have scored fewer goals than Harare City (14) in the entire league.
More worryingly, Harare City have registered a single win in the last 120 days and that has left them third from bottom with 23 points.
They beat Triangle United 1-0 on July 16, to register their only win since May 1.
Financial constraints have continuously dogged the municipal side, following a decision at Town House to reduce the budget for sports.
Consequently, the club has lost a number of key players since January and today Harare City square up against title-chasing Dynamos, fully aware that a defeat could see them sink deeper into the mud.
The match, which will be screened live on ZTN Prime, is at the National Sports Stadium at 3pm.
Such is the gulf in class at the moment between Harare City and Dynamos that even if you double City’s points tally, they will still not surpass DeMbare’s 46 points haul.
It has not been smooth sailing for Harare City gaffer, Taurai Mangwiro, who has had to dig deeper in his bid to lift his charges’ spirits.
Harare City have suffered the ignominy of relegation before, going down in 2017 under Bigboy Mawiwi, before returning through the back door after How Mine withdrew from the league just before the 2018 season.
Mangwiro is aware of these demons but believes his experience in the trenches will come in handy in Harare City’s latest fight against relegation.
“As a coach I get a lot of inspiration from the fact that I have never taken any of my teams to Division One and that is where I am getting my confidence.
“We are going to survive, that I am confident of. As a coach I am experienced enough to realise that teams do go through such a bad spell,” said Mangwiro.
City’s position on the log is not a surprise but Mangwiro thinks surviving relegation “is not an insurmountable task.”
“We play Dynamos who obviously still fancy their chances of toppling FC Platinum at the top, which makes it an intriguing battle for us. “But I don’t think it is an insurmountable task as such.
“Yes, we are under pressure to win, to get the team out of the mud but such is the nature of our job.
“It is when the chips are down like this that one has to show their true colours and going into the match against Dynamos I am fancying my team’s chances and we will give it a go.”
Mangwiro has over 15 years coaching experience in the top-flight, having seen duty at Masvingo United, Monomotapa, CAPS United, Triangle United and Harare City.
He won the 2015 Chibuku Super Cup in his first spell at City, before repeating the same feat with Triangle in 2018.
Mangwiro left Triangle early this year, ending a five-year stint there and was given a perfect welcome gift as Harare City brushed aside Cranborne Bullets 3-1 on February 26, in his first match in charge.
Wilfred Muvirimi, Emmanuel Mandiranga and Tatenda Tumba were on target that day.
Mandiranga has since left for CAPS United while Tumba quit football in June as a massive player exodus hit City.
The league’s top scorer William Manondo who joined Makepekepe, Clive Rupiya, Collin Mujuru, Marshal Machazane, Ben Musaka and Tatenda Tavengwa are some of the key players who dumped City at the start of the year.
Nonetheless, Mangwiro is putting up a brave face as he feels they must not continue “to cry over spilt milk.”
“What we need is to embrace the players that we brought on board,” he said.
Mangwiro promoted three players, Jacob Kandemwa, Alex Zimunhu and Victor Mukatairi, from the club’s developmental side Harare City Cubs.
He also acquired highly-rated striker Alexander Mandinyeya and goalkeeper Learnmore Muzarirwa from Mbare-based academy, Inter Harare.
The academy was founded by former Dynamos star, Hope “Zviyo” Chihota.
Obert Tafira was also lured from Kwekwe United while Tanaka Makaripe joined from Beki Nyoni’s BN Academy.
Mangwiro hopes these players will gel with the likes of Hastings Chapusha, Donald “Kante” Mudadi, Spencer Masunda and Donald Dzvinyai.
“At the moment morale is very low, we have had a difficult time but as a coach that’s my duty to try and lift the players’ spirits.”
Harare City drew 0-0 against Bulawayo Chiefs at the National Sports Stadium last weekend, a result that arrested a three-game losing streak for them.
Mangwiro believes that result could ignite a fresh impetus for his side.
“We now have to dig deeper and ensure that we deliver.
“Beating Dynamos, a team that is second best on the log, should give us the much-needed confidence going into the last eight games.
“We have to make sure we steer the team to safety and it has to start with a big scalp against a Dynamos team that has done way better than us.”
DeMbare won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the same venue on March 27.
“Dynamos, because of their history, are one of the most successful teams in the country. “They remain a powerhouse and that they are second on the log shows the kind of good work that coach Tonderai Ndiraya and crew have done.
“So, motivation wise, we should be self-driven. We know that multitudes will be watching so that should spur us into doing well.” But, Mangwiro has another worry.
His team has drawn 11 games, the joint highest tally in the league alongside Highlanders and Black Rhinos.
“We have drawn far too many games. Games that we have dominated but somehow we have failed to cross the finishing line and this is where it has left us.”
With 23 points from 25 games, Harare City have a points return rate of 0.92 per match.
“We however remain positive in spite of our current position on the log which I feel is a temporary setback,” Mangwiro said.
Online Reporter